Syrian FM confers with Netherlands peer
Syria-Netherlands, Politics, 4/2/2004

A session of official talks was held yesterday between Foreign Minister Farouk al Shara and Foreign Minister of Netherlands Bernard Rudolf Bot.

Talks during the meeting were focused on the prevailing tense atmosphere in the region due to the continuation of the Israeli hostile policy that ignores the international resolutions and denies all the efforts and initiative for the achievement of peace in the region.

Al- Shara reiterated in that connection the necessity for ending the Israeli occupation of the occupied Arab territories as the corner stone for any just and comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Bot for his part, condemned the Israeli policy of assassinating the Palestinian activists, considering the Israeli assassination of Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin last week as violation of international law.

Regarding the proposed reforms in the region, al- Shara stressed that the peoples of the regions and their governments are better aware of their needs and so any ideas should spring from within the region and meet the needs of the people and in a way proportional with their circumstances.

He added that any reform that doesn't take in account the ending the occupation and bringing just and comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict will remain incomplete ideas that may expose the development plans and infra-structure to a state of instability in the region. Al- Shara reiterated the importance of the European Union role regarding the issues of the region.

Talks between the two sides also focused on the importance of reaching the association agreement between Syria and the EU. Meantime, President Bashar Al-Assad on Thursday reviewed with Bot what the Syria - EU negotiations on association agreement have reached.

Previous Stories:
  Dutch parliamentary delegation in Damascus   (10/29/1999)
  Syrian - Dutch relations highlighted   (8/27/1999)

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